San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1887-04-21
Reagan ON ProhIbItIon.--iiis Reply TO
the Gibbs Committee.
Dallas News ]

the Gibbs Committee.
dallas Newell
PALESTINE, Tx, April. 8 iss7.-Gentle-
men, lam In receipt OF your letter OF the
9TH inst, in which you advise me that a
largely attended meeting OF prominent dem.
oerats from all parts of the State was held
AT Austin on the 3Oth ultimo for the purpose
of calling State Convention, 20 meet at
Dallas on the first Wednesday in May, and
that such a convention has been called; that
its object IL twofold; l. To set forth clear
ly and unreservodly tho time-honored and
enduring principles Of tho Democratic party
from Jefferson, its founder. down to the
present time. These you define TO be "op'
position to all forms Of sumptuary legisla'
tion."
You do me the honor to invite me to be
present and address that convention, and
call my attention to the radical change to be
engrafted on the organic laws Of the State
by the adoption Of the prohibition amend
ment. And you suggest that the magnitude
Of the issue forbids silence on the part OF
every citizen.
l fully appreciate the honor implied in
the invitation you extend me; but between
giving some attention TO my private affairs,
which have been much neglected OF late,
the keeping up of correspondence which
has become burdensome. aud the necessity
of investigating some public questions OF
importance before the meeting OF the fif-
tieth Congress, il will not be practicable for
me to participate in the public discussions OF
this summer.
II had leisure to engage in this discus
sion, with all due respect for the opinions
you represent, could not concur with the
views expressed in your letter. While /
have heretofore felt constrained to oppose
prohibition because its friends sought TO
make il a political issue, and antagonize and
overthrow the Democratic party, that rea-
son does not now exist, and am not in
clined by speech or vote to countenance the
evils flowing from the selling of intoxicating
liquors, as now practiced, or to give to them
the moral support of public opinion or the
protection of the State government.
In every community we find men, once
honored and respected, reduced to poverty,
wretchedness and dishonor by spending
their time and money in drinking saloons;
wives weighed down with grief aud sorrow
and want. and eart-broken and helpless
children growing up in Ignorance, beggary
and vice. because husbands and fathers nave
been drupkards and vagabonds by patroniz-
inc the drinking saloons. Millions of dol
lars are invested in this business of making
men drunkards and in producing the desc
lation and ruin of women aud children,
which. if employed in agriculture, manufac-
turing or commercial pursuits, and directed
by the time and talents wasted in these
drink,pg-houses, would add untold millions
TO the aggregated wealth of the State, and
make as many thousands of happy families
az are now made miserable because this
money and time are given to the drinking
and selling of intoxica ing liquors.
The trainers of our State constitution,
having reference to these evils, provided
that THE Legislature shall at its first session
enact law whereby the qualified voters of
auy county, Justices precinct, town or city,
by a majority vote, from time to time, may
determine whether the sale of intoxicating
lionors shall be prohibited within the pre-
scribed limits" 1t would be no great inno-
vation upon this principle for the people of
the State to adopt constitutional provision
declaring that 1.-THE manufacture, sale and
exchange of intoxicating liquors, except for
medical mechanical and scientific purposes,
is hereby prohibited in the State of Texas"
The Stnte Democratic convention, which
met at Galveston last summer. inserted in
the platform of principles declaration, i'll
substonce. that a citizen might he o local
ont;onist or n Prohibitionist and at the same
t;,na ha a Democrat,
T,ba nresent LEGISLATURE wisely determin-
cd in Submitting the question Of the adop.
t;on of the prohibition amendment by a vote
of the people, that the election should be
held nj time when no other election is to
Al L.
MON the question upembarrassed by any
Cher noliticol questions or elections, so that
the election should be non-partisan. In
view Of these facts. width all respect to the
n,eetinp ut Austin and its committee, l
,nust evnress NV regret that any effort was
made To- make a party question of it; and
esnec;allv do I regret that Democrats should
seek 10 identify that great and grand historic
rortv with the fortunes and fate of whisky
Shows drnnkards and criminals.
There ia broad difference between laws
which interfere with legitimate trade and
With such that would interfere with the pur-
chase and sale of necessary food, drink and
roiment. called sumptuary laws, and laws
which have for their object the prevention
and punishment of crime and the preserva-
ton of nnblic morals and decency And I
tb;nk Il hardly inst to the memory of Mr..
Jefferson TO assume that he would not have
recognized this distinction.
have during all the years of my man.
hood been a Democrat of the straightest
sect and an earnest and enthusiastic disciple
of Thomas jefferson. whom regard as the
Greatest political philosopher and statesman
This country has every produced. And I
wonln be as far from desiring to see laws
nassed that would interfere with the free
dom of legitimate commerce, or which
would undertake to control the purchase,
sale and use of necessary food, drink or APP
nareI as anv one could be. But believe t
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